Grand Blanc Watchdogs

Imagine Grand Blanc
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Government

Lonnie Adkins and Monica Shapiro talk about what goes on at the Township. Think “the team” is asleep at the wheel? Think they waste our tax dollars? Think the township could be better? So do we! Let’s talk Grand Blanc!

  1. 1d ago

    Data Centers! Flock Cameras!

    Look at the attendance at the township's meeting on Data Centers and Flock Cameras! Ya think they advertised? GB Watchdogs thinks they were relieved to have managed to have the discussion under the radar... Listen to Lonnie and Monica discuss the moment at 39:40 when Attorney Chubb and Scott Bennett agreed that if there wasn't enough industrial zoned property to accommodate a hyperscale data center, we could rezone!

  2. Aug 22

    View Newspaper Gets it Wrong

    The Grand Blanc View published their usual puff piece about the Township Board. "GB Township Board Mulls Millage Proposal." The article tells a nice little story about our fire department but it gets one key aspect dead wrong. "Chief Jent sounded the alarm about staffing levels after the Sept. 28 LDS Church fire. NO! Jent was HIRED to try to fix staffing levels in April 2025, and almost immediately determined that we needed four additional full-time firefighters to bring us to minimum safe staffing levels over our two fire stations. He brought his concerns to our superintendent, Mr. Liimatta, who made the decision himself to turn down Jent's urgent request and deny him the right to apply for the SAFR grant. Jent continued to raise alarms and put his request for salaries and benefits for four firefighters in the 2026 budget. His continued warnings, which Liimatta never bothered to bring to a public meeting of our elected officials, were ignored. AFTER the fire, when we did arrive understaffed, Liimatta scrambled. He placed Jent on administrative leave and installed Deputy Chief Maricle as interim chief. Maricle's first act was to issue a statement that staffing levels were fine, Chief Jent didn't understand the federal safety mandates as they applied to our hybrid full-time part-time department. The Watchdogs think it's time the Board stopped hiding behind, and protecting, the overpaid Superintendent Dennis Liimatta, and answer some hard questions about public safety in Grand Blanc Township!

  3. Aug 22

    Interview with Larry Pack, MD Grand Blanc resident

    Larry Pack is a member of a neighborhood that was targeted for a random zoning change from residential to commercial, so that one of the DDA developers could put an office plaza in the center of a quiet neighborhood of 10 acre lots off Baldwin road. He and his neighbors got 60 people to come out to the planning commission meeting to protest this - 60 people who live in other neighborhoods all along Baldwin road and don't like the way the township has been systematically downgrading that area. They were ignored. They circulated a petition to try and get the zoning change on the ballot but fell short. Zoning changes are supposed to be fightable. Neighbors are meant to have that right. Not in GB township. In GB township developer friends of the politicians and bureaucrats take precedence over residents. Always. Dr. Pack is an intelligent observer of GB politics and has seen GB through many dark years, including the infamous Zittel/Delaney administrations. He agrees with the Watchdogs that the current group is the worst we've ever seen.

  4. May 17

    Interview with Bruce Trevithick: Facts the Board Should Have Had

    Bruce is the Executive Director of the Genesee County Medical Control Authority, which collects data and oversees administration of the County's EMS system. In this interview he presents all the facts regarding Exclusive Contracts and the Geofencing model that the Township opted to approve because it protects their political donors. These are the facts that only Scott and Dennis had; they chose not to share the complete picture with the board, and as usual, directed the unanimous vote.

  5. May 16

    Call with Abe

    This is a great one! Monica's son, comedian Abe Shapiro, mocks the Recall effort and makes his mother laugh. If you follow Abe on instagram you know how funny he is. Enjoy!

  6. Apr 27

    Why Recall! Road Diet on Fenton Road ! Petitions start May 2!

    Lonnie and Monica talk about all the problems that have come to light SINCE the language for the recall was approved. Anthony Hudson told the board back then that we'd be wathing the and urged them to "act better." Well, folks, they haven't. After the incident at East Middle school where a mother was told it would be two hours before an ambulance would arrive, the board acted on limited information to approve a substandard ambulance contract - Geofencing - that does NOT guarantee response times, and leaves our community, of 40,000 people with 14 daily calls with only two ambulances to cover our needs. Why? because Patriot Ambulance is owned by donors to Scott Bennett's campaign. On the fire front we now have two lawsuits: one over the 160,000 dollar foia charge, (COVERUP) and a second one brough by firefighters over retaliation by Mr. Liimatta for speaking out in support of Chief Jent. The board has ignored Chief Jent's recommendations and are still planning to hire consultants instead. They've added a 125,000 administrative assistant to the already over-compenstated Mr. Liimatta, they've added several new positions in PR and DPW desk jobs without finding any money for the needed full-time firefighters. Mr. Bennett simply shrugged in the face of flooding caused by our 87 year old storm drain system. They are not listening to the many people who came out to protest the Fenton Road Diet. Petitions start circulating May 2. Email at petitions@gbrecall.com or call (815) 4RECALL if you'd like to have them brought to you or your neighborhood.

  7. Apr 27

    Firefighter Lawsuit! More on Storm Drains! Ambulance Contract; Interview with Bruce Trevithick

    The Firefighter Lawsuit - four firefighters sued the Board and Dennis Liimatta for "retaliation" . We thank them for reminding the public that the problems in the Fire Department are very much ongoing. Mr. Liimatta is still trying to control and punish our first responders rather than work with Chief Jent to create the kind of Fire Department this community deserves. On another public safety front, Mr. Liimatta and Mr. Bennett never allowed the Board to decide for themselves if they thought the Exclusive Contract Model might be better for our township than Geofencing. Hint: there's no contest. The only reason we have substandard Geofencing model (which does not guarantee response times!) is that Patriot Ambulance owners are major donors to Mr. Bennett's campaign. We give you a chance to hear the facts on the two Ambulance Contract models from Bruce Trevithick, the director of the Genesee County Medical Control Authority - a presentation the Board ought to have had before they approved Geofencing. We discuss the storm drain situation and various potential solutions based on Monica's ongoing research into how other communities are managing to update their own aging storm drain systems.

  8. Apr 25

    Floods! Shrug! Interview with Jeff Wright, Genesee County Drain Commissioner

    April 11 Metro Flint News Talk Radio broadcast Major floods the first weekend in April; The shocking lack of leadership by Supervisor Scott Bennet, some challenging questions for Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright and a lot of information about what needs to be done and how difficult yet not impossible the solutions are. #JeffWrightDrainCommissioner

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Lonnie Adkins and Monica Shapiro talk about what goes on at the Township. Think “the team” is asleep at the wheel? Think they waste our tax dollars? Think the township could be better? So do we! Let’s talk Grand Blanc!

Information

  • Creator
    Imagine Grand Blanc
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Imagine Grand Blanc
  • Show Website
    Grand Blanc Watchdogs